Seleucus

Seleukos, also known as Seleucus, or "Nikator" ("The Victor") was a Macedonian general and the first Emperor of the Seleucid Empire, also known as the "Kingdom of Syria". Seleucus was one of the Diadochi, the generals of Alexander the Great, who competed for Alexander's empire after his death. However, the Wars of the Diadochi were unresolved, with Alexander's empire being split between the generals rather than taken over. He was assassinated in 281 BC by King Ptolemy the Thunderbolt.

Biography
Seleucus was born in the Province of Upper Macedonia in Orestis, the son of a retainer of Philip II of Macedon. Because of this, he became friends with Prince Alexander, his son, and was known to be a great tactician. When Alexander became the King of Macedon, he was effectively his Prime Minister, advising him on what to do with his army and working well as an administrator, alongside General Parmenion. Seleucus led Alexander's army's vanguards on many occasions, working as a great general of his.

When Alexander died, he became one of his feuding generals, creating the Seleucid Empire out of his domains in Syria, Palestine, and all of the land in the Middle East. As Emperor, he was responsible for wars with the Mauryan Empire, Parthians, Pontus, the Greek States, Thrace, and the Ptolemaic Empire, fighting many battles with the other Diadochi, and won the Battle of Ipsus in 301 BC, crushing Antigonus's army and winning against the Antigonid Empire. However, when he attempted to invade Macedon, he was killed by Ptolemy of Macedon, and in the end, the Antigonids took over.